Central Saskatchewan faces heavy rainfall: Environment Canada

Environment Canada has issued a rainfall warning for Saskatoon and surrounding areas, with general amounts expected to bebetween 40 and 60 mm.

The warning issued Thursday morning covers much of central Saskatchewan. itcomes in anticipation of a low pressure system that is expected to affect much of the south and central areas of the provincein the afternoon and through the day Friday.

The agency warns that some locations in central areas could receive heavier bursts of rainfall, bringing local amounts greater than 80 mm by the time the system departs the region.

Environment Canada meteorologistTerri Langsays that the system is "complicated."

"It's a low pressure system," she said. "It's kind of a double-barrelled one there's one in Montana and one developing in Alberta," she said.

She says the rain will travel from east to west, beginning with thunderstorms near the border. Areas such as Saskatoon could receive heavy amounts of rainfallovernight on Thursday into Friday morning.

Environment Canada is also warning that the system will bring strong easterly winds, with gusts between 70 and 80 km/h.

Southeastern areas of the province might see hail and possibly tornados, Lang says.

Lang says that west-central areas should prepare to be the "hardest hit areas" with respect to the rain: "Kindersley, Saskatoon, Rosetown across to Wynyard."

Environment Canada says conditions will improve by Friday night as the system moves out.

The agency is warning to watch out for possible localized flooding in low-lying areas and washouts near creeks, rivers, and culverts.